Out of Mind, Into Life
by The Wayword Writer
Summary: Po has defeated Tai Lung and restored peace to the Valley! However, Tai Lung, in a far off forest, reawakens... to find that he doesn't remember what has happened or who he is! Rated T for violence
1. Chapter 1: Who Am I?

**Hey everybody! It's me, BrokenSoldier! Now, most of you may know me for my stories Welcome to Our World and Tigress' Trauma (go a read them if you already haven't), and while they're starting to become fairly popular, I'm wanting to do something else without my OC's. This story is going to be centered around Tai Lung and his reawakening. However, there's a catch... he's become an amnesiac! He doesn't remember who he is, what's happened; he doesn't remember ANY Kung-Fu! Heck, he can't even remember his own name! Anyway, enough about the tiny details of the plot; let's get on with the story!**

**Chapter 1: Who Am I?**

A burst of golden mist covered the Valley of Peace, signaling the inevitable defeat of Tai Lung by the hands, or… paws, of the Dragon Warrior. Exploding outward with the unleashing of the Wuxi Finger Hold, the sudden release of energy arced over the hills beyond the village, racing over its inhabitants and the Furious Five, the protectors of the Valley of Peace. Within minutes, the triumphant roars of the Valley's denizens could be heard for miles, rejoicing in the salvation of their home from the hands of the savage beast that was Tai Lung. However, this is not the full story of the snow leopards fall… and rise. The golden release of power continued to race over mountains and hills and streams, eventually disappearing to everyone except those that could sense its power; those at the epitome of mastery of Kung-Fu. Eventually, the dust and mist that had raced across the valleys of China converged at a single point, all of it colliding with an immense explosive power, rocketing upward before plummeting back to Earth just as rapidly. In a final flash of light, the dust that had darted across the land finally settled, revealing… Tai Lung, lying on his back, arms and legs spread out and out like a light. Five minutes went by without any signs of movement from the being; it would seem as if the master had recently died, his body left to rot in the middle of an uncharted forest. Finally, Tai Lungs chest began to slowly rise and fall and rise again, taking in fresh oxygen with every breath while his eyes slowly twitched open to take in the scenery around him. The feline turned his head to the left before slowly turning it the other way, rising up and resting on his elbows, groaning with fatigue while popping his shoulder blades, still staring at the area he rested in. Tai Lung had awakened in the middle of a dense bamboo forest; nothing less than the shoots surrounded him, with not so much as another insect to keep him company.

'Where am I?' Tai Lung thought to himself, rising to his feet, still taking in the limited variety of scenery around him.

Suddenly, the feline's bright, golden rod eyes shot open at the realization of the situation.

"Wait! Who am I?" The former-master shouted to himself, staring at the scenery around him, mouth agape and rapidly taking in breath with worry.

Amnesia had befallen the poor warrior; the power of the Wuxi Finger Hold had wiped away every single bit of his memories. Even his own name escaped his grasp, frustrating the master to an incredible extent. Tai Lung began to clutch his skull in frustration, struggling to remember what the first _letter _of his name was, let alone the first part! The feline eventually let out an exhale, letting his arms drop to the sides while he stared forward, gazing at the impenetrable walls of bamboo before him.

'Maybe someone else knows what happened to me; heck, maybe they can help me find out who I am in the process.' Tai Lung thought to himself before proceeding through the endless forest of bamboo, the thickets rustling with each step the feline took.

Tai Lung's vision was heavily obscured; all he could see before him was the green plant that continued to surround him in a sea of flora; an incredibly repetitive sea of flora. The walls of bamboo, while they parted to make a pathway for Tai Lung, also slapped him in the face from time to time, causing him to lash out at the shoots, each one breaking with the swipe and going off into another part of the endless forest. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Tai Lung made his way out of the endless forest, arriving at a small oasis in the middle of the living labyrinth. The fields within the area were fresh with life, the emerald green grass wavering in the gales that broke through the walls of the impenetrable forest of bamboo, calling Tai Lung over to the sapphire, pristine waters of the small lake before him. Tai Lung couldn't resist; slowly making his way over to the waters, Tai Lung knelt down by the shore, cupping his hands and filling them with water, gulping down every cool drop as it fluidly slid down his throat while he exhaled with content. However, from the thickets of bamboo, a pair of night-blue eyes meticulously glared at Tai Lung from a distance, watching the creature have his fill of the waters he knelt by. The animal within the thickets pulled his paws behind him, pulling out two knives from his haunches, each detailed with a jade green handle and a golden dragon wrapped around the hilt, their maws open in a snarl, ready to unleash an inferno upon their victims.

'Finally, murderer, you shall pay for your crimes against China…' the assailant thought to itself before lunging towards Tai Lung in a blur, Tai Lung swinging himself toward the sudden movement, holding his arms up in an X-guard as his attacker collided with him, the two of the tumbling farther in the field and back into the forest of bamboo.

The attacker eventually came out on top, holding a knife to Tai Lung's neck while the feline tried to gain details on his assailant. The armed assassin was wearing a dark violet cloak, shielding his face from view, while under the garment the attacker wore a lightning blue* cheongsam, paired with a set of jet black silk pants, tightened at the ankles by a series of wraps.

"Any last words, killer?" the attacker muttered, tightening his grip on the knife while pressing the blade towards Tai Lung's neck.

"Killer? What are you talking about? I've never harmed a soul in my life! Or, at least what I think is my life…"

The assailant merely scoffed at the ex-warrior below him before replying "Paranoia; that's all that you've got, murderer. Now, you shall pay for your crimes! DIE!"

But before the assassin could finish the deed, Tai Lung's body instantly fell limp, causing the attacker to rise from his body, staring at the unconscious feline before him. Searching his body, the assassin found a small dart that had punctured Tai Lung's neck, plucking it from his flesh and bringing it up to his face. Taking a sniff, the attacker easily identified the herbs on the dart; commonly used for a sleeping draught to help patients during surgery.

"You never did excel at following orders, did you, my apprentice?" said another cloaked figure in the same garbs as the warrior that stood over Tai Lung.

"Only because you taught me to follow my own path." Tai Lung's attacker replied ever-so smugly.

The figure behind him merely chuckled, shaking his head before wandering over to the unconscious feline and picking him up on his shoulders.

"Well, you'll have time to beat the stuffing out him later. For now, we need to get him back to the village. Something tells me that from his reaction, he may not be the man we thought he was."

"But we _know _who he is! He's a murder! A predator! A monster that deserves to be killed and left to rot in this forest!" The other warrior protested, trying to convince his master that he was absolutely right in this situation.

"My apprentice, we may know who he is, but maybe _he's _the one that needs to discover his identity."

"What? You can't be serious!"

"I'm am serious; I do believe that our target has developed a rather serious case of amnesia."

**Well, sorry for the short first chapter, but more will come into light later in the story. Anyway, I'm open for OC suggestions for a villain! Now, here are my requirements for said villain;**

**He or she has to be both likable and hatable; just use Shen as an example**

**The villain has to have some kind of backstory that will contribute to his or her personality and goals**

**Q) THE VILLAIN HAS TO BE A BADASS! That is the key factor for any good villain!... with a few exceptions (I'm looking at YOU Sephiroth!)**

**Well, that's it for me! I'll see you all next chatper!**

**A/N: Lightning Blue: There's always this lining around a bolt of lightning, and its a fairly recognizable shade. There's also a brief flash of the color when the bolt strikes.**


	2. Chapter 2: Free But Chained

**Hello, I'm back again! So far, I'm really thankful for the sudden burst of reviews, even for the first chapter! I'm always looking for your input, so keep it up. Also, a reminder to all readers, I'm still accepting forms for villain ideas, but considering the current villain that already been sent in, it'll be tough to beat! Well, enough of my talking; time for Chapter 2!**

**Chapter 2: Free but Chained**

Tai Lung's head was hanging limp over the stone floor in the chamber to which he was confined. His bare chest caved and expanded with his slow breaths, the only light in the room being ten scattered candles placed around the chain stand where he knelt. Tai Lung's eyes slowly began to open with a light groan escaping his maw, lifting his head to witness the stone room around him. The motion of his body caused the rattling of chains, to which the snow leopard had been bound to, putting him in a kneeling position in his captive state.

'Oh… what happened to me?' The "brain-dead" warrior thought in his groggy and discombobulated state. 'All I remember is something hitting my neck, then nothing'

Out of the shadows came a hooded feline, cloaked in black darkness while his garments obscured his face from view. His tail waved back and forth behind him, Tai Lung eyeing with suspicion, looking up at his supposed captor.

"What do you want with me? I've done nothing wrong, so I don't see a-"

"Silence!" The hooded figure bellowed, sending his hand across Tai Lung's face with a crack that echoed off the walls of the stone room. "Don't you dare play dumb with me, murderer! I know everything about you, and if you _aren't _in the condition that my village thinks you're in, you better start praying to every god that you know of, because when I'm through with you, the Underworld will seem like Paradise!"

Tai Lung let out a low growl while giving a sneer at his captor, and while his face was veiled by the shadow the hood created, the snow leopard knew that the feline was scowling just as he was.

"Now, now, my apprentice. There's no need to treat this man like he is a demon from Oblivion." Said another figure coming from the darkness.

The man wore a bright orange cloak with an even brighter golden vest. Tai Lung was already seeing the man that he knew nothing about as a father, feeling his inviting personality shine throughout the darkness of the room that he was chained to. His eyes were shimmering with a dark brown hue, and a heartwarming grin was spread across the warrior's face. Under his garments, Tai Lung noticed dark black spots surrounded across a sea of light brown fur.

'An ocelot? They're not native to… wait, where am I again? And how did I know what this guy was?'

"Why, hello, young man. I assume that you are wondering what crimes you have committed to be put in such a dreadful place such as this."

Tai Lung lowered his head, staring at the floor in shame for his ignorance. Why was he chained in such a desolate room? What actions had transpired for him to deserve such a fate?

"My apologies for not letting you get to know me earlier. Circumstances were dire, you see. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Rěn-Zhě, head of the village council in the village of Ci-Ke. We are among the most skillful warriors of secret and silence, acting as special forces for the Emperor and other such dignitaries. However, we are not here to talk about who _I _am."

"Really? Things were finally starting to get interesting." Tai Lung replied, earning him a chuckle from the ocelot above him.

"No, snow leopard. We are here to investigate who _you _are. Now, do you know what your name is?"

The question caught Tai Lung completely off guard. He had no idea what his name was! Sweat already beginning to drop from his brow, Tai Lung thought of the first name that came to mind.

"Cuò" Tai Lung muttered. "Cuò Wèi"

'His reaction… I cannot tell whether it was truly sincere, or if it was simply a lie. I must keep my wits about me with this one.' Ren-Zhe thought to himself while he paced around the pinned feline, eyeing him with suspicion.

Tai Lung's heart rate was growing more rapid by the second. He _knew _that the figure before him was the warrior that had almost taken his life, so he knew better than to lie. Then again, what could he lie about? What did he know that he could use to his advantage?

"Do you happen to know what transpired twenty years ago?"

"Twenty years? I don't even know what happened two _days _ago, let alone twenty years! Now release me! I've done nothing wrong to be put here!"

"Don't even think for a second that you haven't!" demanded the hooded figure, still laden with shadow. "I'll have you know that you are the- mm mmpph!" was all that escaped the figure's maw before it was muffled by the paw of Ren-Zhe.

"Stop Xu-Qiu. The man is telling the truth. He obviously has no recollection of the_ crimes _that he has committed. To imprison him for being ignorant is against our code and law."

"Then what do suggest we do with him?" the feline inquired while flashing a glare under the shadow that covered the warrior's face.

Ren-Zhe's face twisted in a devilish grin, knowing _exactly _how he would kill two birds with one stone.

"Cuo Wei, you do not appear to be guilty of any crimes according to our laws. However, with you in you 'condition', so to speak, we cannot have you exiting the area. For the moment, I, the master of the Village of Assassins will have you train alongside my apprentice, Xu-Qiu."

"What?"

Suddenly the hooded figure finally threw of not his cloak, but _her _cloak. The body under the garments belonged to that of a beautiful snow leopard. Tied to her torso was a bright violet qipao, replacing the cheongsam that she had been wearing upon Tai Lung's attack. Paired with her qipao, the warrior had donned a pair of silk black pants, tied at the ankles by a set of wraps. Finally, holstered at her hips were the twin dragon daggers, gleaming in the dim light of the candles while their gaping maws seemed to emit flames in Tai Lung's very soul, as if they were judging him in the court of the afterlife.

"Master, you can't be serious! Have _him_ train with me? You and I both know that the techniques that I'm learning are only for those that have achieved total mastery of the art of assassins!"

"Now, now. No need to be jealous that a new student will be training with you." Her master replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

"I am NOT jealous! I'm simply refusing to train with a whelp such as him!"

"Hey, I'm still here you know, and I'm not deaf either!" Tai Lung replied, obviously annoyed by the constant bickering between student and master.

"Sorry, Cuo Wei. Allow me to unlatch those chains for you."

**Two Hours Later**

Night had fallen over the village of Ci-Ke. The pale light of the moon dimly lit the rooftops of the stone abodes that the villagers had taken their dwelling in, the stars shimmering like freshly picked gems suspended in the sky. Traveling down the village, and impossibly tall series of steps began its way up a long and winding mountain range, reaching higher than the clouds would go. At the base of the staircase, Tai Lung stood with his mouth agape, struck dumb by the pathway to whatever building or object had been placed at the top.

"I have to climb _that?"_

"Of course you do. Every student that's become a master in this village has had to climb these stairs at least once in their lifetime. Xu-Qiu has done it one-hundred times, so I'm sure you can manage climbing them once."

"Oh, and you have a time limit. You have to make it to the top of the stairs by morning."

"Or else what?"

"Or else I get to kick you back down, and you'll have to start your journey all over again!"

"You two are crazy!"

"Yeah; we get that a lot." Xu-Qiu replied before darting up the stairs.

"I'll see you at the top, Cuo."

Tai Lung's face instantly grew wide with a smile, smirking at the challenge before him. While he couldn't remember anything about his past, his thirst for a challenge still remained in his being, and this was something truly worthy of his caliber.

"Yeah, you'll see at the top for sure old man."

Without another second to waste, Tai Lung sprang to his four paws, sprinting as fast as he could up the winding steps that led to the academy that lay at the top. His speed remained unfaltering, never missing a beat in what seemed like an endless journey leading to nowhere. Tai Lung kept at the speed for minutes on end. Had he passed Ren-Zhe? Had he even passed… no, he couldn't have. Could he? After twenty minutes of full on sprinting, something that at this point Tai Lung regretted, he found the final set of steps, the door to the academy in his sight. Tai Lung's eyes widened with relief and excitement as he made a final dash to the gigantic wooden doors of the academy, only to have them swing open, revealing Xu-Qiu and Ren-Zhe, each with a steaming cup of tea in the grasp, smiling ever so smugly at the fatigued warrior.

"Wha… oh, you've got to be kidding me."

The two assassins chuckled at Tai Lung's tired complaint.

"I must say, Cuo, you've already begun to impress me. I did not expect you to climb the staircase by tomorrow. I congratulate you for that."

"Well, thanks for…"

Tai Lung's body began to fall limp, completely out of his control. Ren-Zhe rushed to catch the snow leopard, cradling his unmoving body in his arms while his student looked at the warrior with worry. Light snores began to emit from Tai Lung's body, earning both a chuckle and a scoff from the two warriors while Ren-Zhe rose to his knees, carrying the body towards the huge building before the two. Inside the hallways, Xu-Qiu opened a door to a small room, revealing a tatami mat and a small pillow lying at the back of it. Ren-Zhe lay Tai Lung gently on the mat, not wanting to disturb his much-deserved slumber. With a final glance at his new student before exiting the room with Xu-Qiu, hoping that nothing horribly tragic or catastrophic would arise from the decision that he had just agreed with.

**And that's chapter 2! Sorry that the story is kind of slow. It's going to get better; just bear with me. I plan on introducing the villain next chapter, so you have until then to post your entries! Until then, Noodles!**


	3. Chapter 3: Death's Mark

**Okay peeps; time to get this chapter in motion! As always, your reviews are appreciated, and I do hope that they continue to come in at such a steady stream. I plan to introduce the villain in this chapter, and the credit for his design goes to Gordhanx; I must say, Gord; you did a VERY good job with his design. In fact, I've actually come up with Tai Lung's future weapon using his design. I'll take any guesses to what it is! Anywho, time for the chapter to begin!**

**P.S: I'm not exactly sure at what point in the year that Kung Fu Panda took place in, but considering the area of time between KFP and the Winter Special, I'm placing the story somewhere between mid-summer and early autumn. Care to dispute me, maturely if you would.**

**Chapter 3: Death's Mark**

The village of Ci-Ke was silent in the dawn of the new morning. The sky still lay dark without the warmth of the soon-rising sun; faint glimmering lights of the midnight stars still lay strewn across the sky like gems hidden in the sand. A light mist began to form over the cold, dew-soaked fields of the village, as it was with the still-present summer heat of the early morn. A light wind from the west stirred the mist resting just above the earth, sending spiraling into the air before dissipating in its formless shape. The vapors of the early morning, parted by the winds of the dying summer, created a pathway in the ashen, moist, but soft feeling of gases of the dawn.

Looking down the makeshift walkway, the parted vapors lead up to the steps of the Assassin's Palace, winding up the mossy green tops of the stalactic peaks, small piles of snow gathering at the bases while the stones began brittle with frost of the high altitudes. As the steps of the stone stairway began to wind and spiral like a coiling viper, eyeing its prey with fascination, the pristine white form of clouds began to build, obscuring the peak of the of the highest mountain with its impenetrable shielding. As the mountains climb higher into the sky, the thick layer of clouds and vapor begins to part, revealing the twin, colossal wooden doors of the Assassin's Palace.

Leading into the courtyard, targets of all shapes, sizes and styles hung from chains and stood on pedestals, some with fresh cuts of everything from knives to arrows to senbon needles. On the far end of the enormous stone floor, a single wooden post stood with a shuriken embedded in its epidermis, a single splint of wood protruding from the minuscule gash. The main building: six onyx pillars stood before its entrance, supporting the shingled roof of the same shade, golden curves and bows of wood standing on end from the rooftop. A single stone, circular in shape and brown with the fresh color of the crust, acted as the doorway to the palace, rolling to allow those who both lived and trained there entrance to their home. Two hallways stood on either side of the of the colossal room.

Traveling down the left hallway, a paper-thin wall separated the tunnel from the outside world, letting in the pale illumination of the moon pass through its surface, the flooring going ablaze with the pure white light of the moon, shadows climbing up the sheets, creating an imitation of the world outside the halls. The hallway ended, entering a building as it split into three hallways, each containing a number of doors that lead into a separate room; the Apprentice Barracks. Creeping down the hallway on the far left, a lone trainee squirmed and groaned in his sleep. Tai Lung; the snow leopard-turn amnesiac twisted and tossed his body with light movements across his tatami mat. His arms lay above the blanket covering his half-exposed body. Tai Lung's arm suddenly swung over to his face, slapping him with a light tap that slowly caused his senses to awaken.

The golden-amber orbs of the feline shot open, his pupils widening with the darkness of the early dawn. Tai Lung rose from his mat, letting out a light yawn before smacking his lips together in fatigue. The memories of yesterday's events began to recollect in his mind.

'That's right.' He thought. His golden eyes lifted up to the ceiling, as if he were staring straight into the sky as well. 'Training starts today.'

The snow leopard rose to his feet, lifting the blanket from his body before laying back down on his resting mat, slowly walking to the door in his still-looming tiredness. The wooden-paper door slowly slid open, clacking as it hit the stopper on the other side. Tai Lung, not remembering much of what he had momentarily learned from his few seconds of consciousness while remaining at the top of the staircase he had come to despise, decided to begin walking towards the left of the barracks, arriving at the end of the hallway to find a set out double-sliding doors, each made of the same materiel that his dorm doors were. The snow leopard's head tilted in curiosity at such a door; where did it lead? More importantly, was it even open? Wanting to know the answer to both questions, Tai Lung's paws reached for the door, grasping the indentions that were the handles before sliding the two slabs open, revealing not another building, but the darkness and warm, late-summer air of fresh nature.

Tai Lung stood gazing at the scenery before him. A lone cliff; a single flat stalagmite protruded from the crag, allowing a resting place for those that decided to rest in the area. The ground below the stone was much like those of a larger scale below it; a ring of frost covered its base, but only protruding from another encirclement of fresh, moist moss. Tai Lung walked closer to the outside, his hind paws feeling the soft touch of the still-alive summer grass. His mind calmed at the feeling of the cloud-like surface of the earth before the crag. Tai Lung sifted through the thin layer of the dust covering the flat surface of the wedged stone, sliding over the top and lying flat on his back. His golden orbs met the gaze of the dark sky of the dawn. The stars still lay strewn throughout the sky, reflecting their light within the searching eyes of Tai Lung, who had taken the pseudonym of Cuo Wei. Not a single cloud blocked his view of the beauty that was nature.

"Beautiful, isn't it, Cuo?"

Tai Lung's head jerked while the feline leapt from the stone, hands instinctively going up in defense at the sudden intrusion. He arms lowered at the sight that it was Ren-Zhe who had requested his opinion. The ocelot stood before the cliff, thumbs kept inside the small pockets **(I know that, I guess, pockets didn't exist in Feudal China, but dang it, this is my story, and if his pants have pockets, they have freaking pockets!) **while a nonchalant smile spread across his face.

"Oh; sorry, uh…"

"Ren-Zhe, Cuo. But for _you,_ it's _Master _Ren-Zhe."

The ocelot chuckled at his own joke, Tai Lung giving a smirk in reply while walking back over to the hooded feline. The heartwarming glow in his deep brown eyes still remained from the day before.

"Yes, Master Ren-Zhe. It's a very beautiful sight to behold." Tai Lung replied, lifting his head back up to the sky to gaze once more at the twinkling stars about it.

"You know, Cuo, I always come out here at this hour." Began the ocelot, walking up to the snow leopard, the grass beneath his paws lightly crunching with each step.

A light breeze caused the grass to waver in the gales, sending a few strips fluttering into the wind, away from the mountaintop field.

"It's become a habit of mine ever since I was a teenager. I've always enjoyed to come to this cliff and merely glimpse at the beauty that lies here."

"Hm. I can see why coming out here became a habit. It's such a wonder being able to see the stars so early in the day."

"Oh no, Cuo." Ren-Zhe replied, shaking his head wearing the same smile on his face. "I did not mean the stars, though they too are quite a wonder to behold."

Tai Lung eyed his master quizzically. If he didn't come out to witness the stars, then what was here to see? The clouds just below the crag? The Cliffside itself?

"What I take pride in watching every morning" Ren-Zhe continued, outstretching his arm to show Cuo the sight he loved to gaze upon each and every new dawn. "Is _this."_

Like clockwork, the bright orange outline of the sun's corona began to peak just over the edge of the cliff. It's illuminating splendor of warmth and shimmering radiance ignited the land around them, simply with a mere fraction of its light. The ashen fur, stained by the golden splotches of each spot, of Tai Lung absorbed every ounce of warmth that it could take, filling the ex-warrior with life and vitality.

"Wow… it's… indescribable. The beauty of something so simplistic…" Tai Lung whispered to himself, awestruck by the immeasurable wonder of sunrise before his glowing pupils.

The burning inferno of life continued to rise into the morning air, filling the entire Palace with its warmth and glory as it finally reached the horizon, looking both down at the village below, and directly at its protectors on the mountaintops.

"I've come out here for as long as I can remember, Cuo Wei." The ocelot replied. Tai Lung looked over his shoulder; the master's face had been wiped clean of all emotion that had been present before. "This god-sized topaz in the sky not only gives me the hope of a new, brilliant day ahead, but it also reminds me of why I became a protector that stays to the shadows."

Tai Lung returned his gaze to the brilliant ball of fire in front of him. His emotion has also disappeared with his master's eulogy. The fire from the ever-burning furnace danced in his golden irises, burning like hellfire that had been brought from heaven, ready to scorch all enemies of the light.

"I do what I must to protect, not only the natural wonders of the not only China, but the world itself. They, along with an endless list of other items, places and people, are the things in life that I hold closest to my heart, and I will die with honor before I see them destroyed."

The two felines stood along the mountaintop, neither saying another word after Ren-Zhe finished his simple, but all truthful eulogy. Tai Lung felt the same over Ren-Zhe's convictions; this… this world-wide work of art was truly something that deserved to be fought over, and to not die for something that one felt so strong about would be an insult against their honor and status as a warrior.

Ren-Zhe let out a heavy sigh before a thin line grew on his face once more. "Well, I think we'd better go wake up your fellow warrior. Shall we?"

Tai Lung turned to face his master. He wore the very same face plastered on the ocelot's. He was beaming with hope in his desperate situation. The hopeful grin, however, was soon replaced by one that simply bellowed "devious".

"Oh, we shall." Tai Lung replied, his inner prankster beginning to rise in his being.

"Now, now, Cuo. We treat our allies with respect, so don't even think about pulling something on Xu-Qiu." Replied the master, eyeing Tai Lung with a joking manner in his eyes before the two let out a laugh and proceeding back to the twin doors leading back to the barracks.

The ocelot was the first to arrive at the large sliding doors acting as the entrance to the barracks, his paws already resting on twin sets of indent-handles. The doors slowly slid open with his arms, hitting the stoppers with twin clacks while the master proceeded through the doorway. Tai Lung soon followed behind him, stopping in his footsteps just in the entrance. His right arm rest on the beam next to him, turning his head to gaze one final time into the beautiful sunrise that had peaked in the sky set ablaze.

'I'll be back tomorrow, my beautiful.' Tai Lung thought, casting a last smile at the Cliffside before following his master into the center hallway of the barracks.

Two elephant guards, each wielding a large, crescent-headed halberd in their grips, stood posted outside a jet black tent lined with crimson. The opening was slightly ajar. A deep, sanguine emblem was printed on the sides of the small abode; a shuriken acted as the body, twin, four-pronged stars encircled by two Chinese Lungs, each chasing the other with fire exploding from their maws. It was a symbol of the shadows, and of power. It was worn by one of the most feared warriors that had been trained by the greatest fighters China had ever known. It was the mark of a force to be reckoned with, and one that would not take no for an answer in his quest to fill the void in his being. Rain poured outside the tent, soaking the fabrics while no liquid leaked through, keeping the items kept inside dry as a bone. A fresh streak of light dashed across the sky, disappearing just as fast as it arrived within the storm its source had conjured.

Inside the tent, a hooded figure sat on the moist grass, stained by the rain. A single shuriken spun around his claw, the blades disappearing with the blur in its speed. His fur was jet black; another flash of lightning caused a shadow to leap across the velvet screening of the back wall, the feline's fur gleaming in the burning plasma while the light still remained. The shuriken 'round his claw suddenly flew from his quarters, impaling a tree with a light _thunk._ The panther brought out another shuriken from the pouch beside him, twirling it just as he had the one before.

One of the guards posted outside piped up saying "Sir, is there anything that you desire?"

The feline's face stayed emotionless within his abode. "Yes; have the spy's reports come in yet?"

"Yes sir. The rumors are true; the man that you've been searching for has been given shelter by the master of a large palace, overlooking a village just twenty miles from here."

The panther snickered with triumph. His plans were going in motion just as he had hoped for. "Excellent; tell the wolf that he is free to go. His services are no longer required." The feline spun his ranged weapon once more, letting the ring of the vibrating metal pierce his ears and fill his mind with visions of his deepest wants. "Oh, and how long before the camp can move?"

The rhino posted to the left of the abode looked skyward, eyeing the storm analytically, as if his answer would come from the still-pouring rains from the heavens. Believe or not, however, his answer came swiftly.

"It should be about two hours before the storm lets up. That should give us plenty of time to scout the village for _him."_ The soldier replied.

The panther sighed with disappointment. "Very well then. Have three archers scout ahead. I want to see what my friend's skill level has become in all these years we haven't seen each other."

His fangs glared, reflecting in the falling rain visible from the small opening in his tent. The rhino let out a gruff of compliance, stomping off to report his master's request to the soldiers who would carry out his order.

'Soon, my old friend.' The feline thought, emotion once more leaving his face. 'Soon, we shall meet once more. And when we do'

The shuriken flew from the velvet wrappings of the abode, letting out a sharp _shing _as it traveled through the air before impaling tree ten feet away. 'You shall be mine.'

Blood poured from the skull of the unlucky wolf that had just been impaled by the weapon. Sanguine liquid dripped from the bottom edge of the shuriken as it mixed with a pristine pool of water below it.

The other rhino posted outside the tent gazed at the corpse of the spy with shock and horror. His mouth hung agape before while his lips trembled at the scene before him.

"S-sir… didn't you say he was free to go?" the guard mumbled back to his leader.

"Yes; yes I did. His family is dead, isn't it?"

The cruel black panther let out a maniacal cackle into the stormy winds of the day, the gales carrying them as far as it would allow while the feline's gaze remained fixed on the dead canine in front of him.

His burning amber eyes cut through the body of the dead spy that lay on the ground, still bleeding through the hole in its head.

Ren-Zhe sat before his students, Tai Lung and Xu-Qiu, in lotus position, the snow leopards in front of him doing the same. Six bamboo candles stood from the warriors, dimly lighting the room while the windows and doors remained closed. Darkness was about to approach once more. The dim flames of the candles that surrounded glinted off the golden dragons wrapped around the two wakizashis lying beside Xu-Qiu. The female warrior gave a glance at Tai Lung out of her peripheral vision before resting her gaze back at her master. The golden gleam of the twin weapons caught the attention of Tai Lung's amber-centered eyes for a brief moment before his eyes also returned the Ren-Zhe's attention.

"Now, as I have stated on multiple occasions, an assassin's ultimate weapon is stealth. He, or she" he continued, motioning his head towards his female student "can hide within plain sight. But today, we will be using the most essential tools that any warrior of the night should be able to utilize wherever they go: silence"

Without a single noise to give away her movements, Xu-Qiu leapt away from the scene, leaving Tai Lung oblivious to what had happened until she had blown out five of the six candles that had surrounded him, leaving only the lone flame flickering behind Master Ren-Zhe.

"And the lure of the shadows."

The ocelot's eyes shot open, revealing the glowing brown orbs, now roaring with the hunger for victory while he leapt backwards, taking the light from the final flame with him. Tai Lung was left in the center of the training arena, shooting up to his feet and defensively putting up his hands in defense. Within the hours before this sudden turn of events, Tai Lung had learned a few sequences of Kung-Fu. These sequences were basic, but vital for any fighter stuck between two opponents.

"Your task is simple, Cuo Wei. Evade the attacks of Xu-Qiu while attempting to subdue her as well. Should you fail to do so, we shall continue the exercise until success prevails."

Tai Lung's golden-amber eyes shone through the darkness of the room, his pupils closing to slits as he went into his combat-ready state of mind. His ears twitched as he caught the faint movements of his opponent dashing across the pitch-black training hall, circling every few seconds to stay ever-survailent about his scenery. He began to walk forward towards the noises that continued to curate him, staying cautious with his movements while his head shot from side to side, trying to catch the silhouette of his colleague and fellow fighter.

Xu-Qiu leapt for her prey.

The female warrior trampled the snow leopard, who rolled onto his back before pushing the warrior off of his body with a swift double kick, landing on all fours before whipping back onto his feet, hands back up to prepare for another attack. A pair of deep blue eyes cut through the darkness of the battleground. The two felines rushed towards each other, making no sounds as their paws hit the wooden floors of the training room, Ren-Zhe watching from a wooden support beam just under the rooftop of the building. His deep brown eyes shot from left to right, watching each of his students trade blow of blow, the sounds of their fists and legs striking the wind reaching his ears while the two warriors stayed intensely focused on nothing but each other.

'He's progressing quickly. However, will training him, just as he had been twenty years ago, bring back his memories and send him spiraling back into his rage-fueled frenzy? Will he go on a rampage just as he did with the Valley of Peace?'

Ren-Zhe let out a sigh as he continued to observe the ensuing battle between the two. His pupils darted in every direction, catching each attack and defend that each combatant threw up, each losing energy while at the same time gaining hope that victory was edging closer and closer to their grasp.

'Gods, watch over me in this time of uncertainty.'

Tai Lung swiftly ducked under a swipe from Xu-Qiu, sweeping her legs from under her while he leapt behind her and pinned her to the floor, holding her arm against her back while two words escaped from his maw.

"Tap out."

While in this position of dominancy, Tai Lung's eyes shot open with a feeling of unknown shock and awe while a light golden tint ran over his vision.

_Tai Lung broke through the roof of the Jade Palace, small bits of shingles and clumps of stone from the ceiling fell to the floor, shattering on impact while the snow leopard kept his surrogate father in plummet-hold he had him in. Tai Lung flipped over the red panda, twisting back around before jetting his foot outward and sending his master into the wall, having him impact while several cracks and fractures appeared in the jade green surface, the snow leopard sliding down an opposite pillar while flames burned in his paws._

"Cuo! Get off of me!" Xu-Qiu exclaimed from under her oppressor.

Tai Lung's gaze stayed fixed on the scenery in front of him. His was staring off into nothing while the vision played and replayed itself in his head. Xu-Qiu struggled and squirmed under the heavy warrior. His weight was too much; she was stuck between a gods-know-how-heavy snow leopard and the cold, unforgiving wooden floor her face had been glued to.

"Damn it, Cuo! You're going to break my arm if you-"

His opponent's screaming and demands never reached Tai Lung's ears. The roof of the Jade Palace shot upward with student and master, lightning flashing in the golden tint while the deafening clap of thunder rang in his ears, snapping him back into reality with its powerful burst of sound. It only took seconds for Tai Lung to remember where he was, and instantly released his hold on Xu-Qiu while the two rose from the wooden floor of the training hall. The female assassin-in-training took a hold of her right arm, rubbing away the pain that still lingered from the vice-grip of a pin that Tai Lung had put her in.

"You know, I still hate you." Xu-Qiu replied while she shot a glare at Tai Lung.

The snow leopard merely rolled his eyes at the remark. Go figure.

"But" the feline continued, a small, thin line breaking out on her face. "I must say that I'm… sort of... impressed. I didn't think that you'd be able to take me down, _especially_ since you've only been training for today."

A content smile broke out on Tai Lung's face. "Well, you deserve as much credit as I do. I mean, how many times did you have to correct my stance before I finally got my sequences right?"

"Fifty-three to be exact, but who's keeping count?" she replied sarcastically, the two letting out a gruff before returning to their twin smiles.

"Aw, look at the love-birds." Master Ren-Zhe taunted after leaping down from the wooden beam and jokingly snickering at the two. A freshly lit candle was resting in his paw so that his students could have some light before the next session.

"WE ARE NOT LOVE-BIRDS!" Tai Lung and Xu-Qiu declared rather loudly before a gun-shot of thunder echoed through the air around them, causing them to leap into each other's arms before just as quickly turning their backs towards one another.

The ocelot chuckled at his students' reaction. 'Oh, yes you are. You two just don't know it yet.'

"Alright, you two. This new-born storm should provide a greater challenge for stealth and silence. I'll open up the windows so that you two can get a 'clearer' view of each other. You'd best learn how to adapt with that lightning out there revealing your location every few minutes."

The twin leopards turned to face each other again with ambition burning in their eyes. Tai Lung knew that this was definitely going to be a challenge for him. How _would _he stay hidden within the second-long scars of white that would inevitably reveal his location? How would Xu-Qiu hold up against the same situation? He didn't care. This was only the beginning of a very fun series of events.

"And…"

Ren-Zhe threw his candle into the air, keeping the flame lit before the students before cracking each window-covering, small droplets of rain leaking in the openings and dampening the floor, creating a multitude of slick surfaces that would also provide both an advantage and handicap.

Ren-Zhe dashed back to where the candle had been falling, catching it just before it shattered while the dim flame vanished from view, giving off a snicker with a glint in his fangs while shouting "Begin!" before disappearing back into the darkness of the room.

Tai Lung and Xu-Qiu instantly dashed away into the darkness, both hiding behind opposite support pillars that stood in the training hall, each waiting for his/her opponent to make a move in the storm. The tapping of rain on the roof intensified the atmosphere of the makeshift battleground. The heartbeats of the two warriors echoed in their skulls. Tai Lung's head leaned just out of the obscurity of his pillar, catching a glimpse of a silhouette in the shadows of the room. The snow leopard snickered with his chance at second victory.

Tai Lung scampered up his wooden beam, silently creeping along the top piece before slipping down and suspending himself between two other supports. His target stood directly below him, searching the room for Tai Lung while he kept himself hidden from his target. The snow leopard took in a silent breath, calming himself before preparing for his attack. His golden eyes pierced the darkness before a flash of lightning revealed the warrior's true form.

'A wolf? What the-?'

The canine below the warrior had a single quiver strung on his back, loaded with arrows while his bow was held tightly in the grip of his paw.

'He's armed! Better take him out while I still can…'

Releasing his hold on the twin beams, Tai Lung fell down to the archer, silent as the morning wind, trampling the wolf as he hit the body, twisting his neck with a crack to finish the warrior. His first assassination.

'There have to be more of them…'

"AMBUSH!"

At the moment of their secret being revealed, four more archers leapt from the shadows of the room, their silhouettes illuminated by another fresh bolt a plasma leaking through the thin fracture in the windows. Tai Lung found himself surrounded; each archer already had an arrow drawn back with their bow, ready to release at the first sign of movement. Tai Lung's golden eyes edged to the left, to the right, and back to the center. Three men in front of him, one behind him. The feline growled with frustration; he was utterly hosed.

'Just wait… silence… and darkness…' Tai Lung thought. The snow leopard silently inhaled, and exhaled, and then…

_Crack!_

A loud clap of thunder came with another scar in the night, Tai Lung disappearing from the center of the warriors that surrounded him, leaving them puzzled while they all stared at each other with question. Above the four confused warriors, Tai Lung gripped the wooden ceiling with his claws dug into the wood. Silently crawling across the wooden surface of the roof, the snow leopard made his way to a beam that had stood behind him. Leaping to the horizontal piece of wood, Tai Lung lunged again to the pillar perpendicular to it, crawling down the wood as he crept behind the warrior that he could not see before. His plan was about to be set in motion.

Snarling once more under his breath, Tai Lung's claws unsheathed from the tips of his fingers, digging into the neck of the first archer as the feline lunged for his attacker, taking the bow from the corpse's grip before swinging it against the skull of the left-side archer. His skull cracked while blood stained the wooden boards of the training hall. The opposite warrior fired two arrows at Tai Lung, both missing while they impacted the wood with a _thunk _before the warrior dropped dead with an instant slice to his jugular. His sanguine liquids fell through the cracks while they turned the dirt of the center floor pure crimson.

The final archer let his arrow fly across the room.

"Ah!"

Tai Lung fell to the ground, clutching his gut while the arrow impaled in his body caused the injury to bleed with his life juices. The warrior had landed at hit on him and completely incapacitated him. He was finished. The canine strode over to the injured snow leopard, loading another arrow into his bow and pulling back the string, intending on killing the injured fighter below him.

"It seems like you really have lost your touch, Monster. Too bad; Master was hoping that you'd put up a challenge." The canine said while casting a devilish grin at Tai Lung.

The feline growled at the canine, still clutching his wound while angrily staring into the wolf's eyes. If he was going to face death, he would face it with courage, and not simply wait for his demise like a coward running from the battlefield. The string of the bow tensed more with every extra inch the canine pulled back.

"Good-bye, Ta-"

The wolf's speech was cut short with the slitting of his throat of a golden-handled knife flashing in the lightning of the storm. The canine fell to the ground, eyes dilated and shaking in his death while his life force flowed out from his neck, his murderer standing above him. It was none other than Xu-Qiu, Ren-Zhe standing behind her before he knelt down to the injured snow leopard.

"Cuo, I need you to-"

Tai Lung ripped the arrow from his flesh, fresh blood beginning to flow from the now-open wound while the ocelot wrapped the injury in fresh wrappings to stop the bleeding. Ren-Zhe took the arrow from Tai Lung, eyeing with curiosity before his eyes shot open in horror, his mouth going agape while Xu-Qiu sneered at the projectile.

"What?" Tai Lung inquired with a worried look on his face. "Is something wrong with me?"

Ren-Zhe shook his head. "No, Cuo. This arrow… look at the marking on its body."

Tai Lung's eyes focused on the crimson emblem printed on the jet black background. There were two, twin, four-point shurikens intersecting each other, duo Lung Dragons chasing each other with fire from their maws.

"So?" Tai Lung continued.

"Cuo Wei, this mark is that of a clan that was thought to be extinct. They were the greatest clan of executioners and assassins before they were wiped out by a catastrophic event. Anyone that sees this mark has been targeted by the clan, and they intended to kill those that they target."

Ren-Zhe threw the arrow into the beam on his left, another hollow _thunk _coming from the impact. The ocelot's head hung in fear and anticipation.

"The Xue-Kan Clan; those who embrace the Eye of Death."

**So, that's it for this chapter. As you probably have guessed by now, some of the words that I used don't actually exist, but you know what? Screw it! Existing words is for the real world! Sorry if the ending got a little boring; I was running low on juices and I just needed to finish up. Anyway, I'm going on a trip for the next two days, so don't expect any new posts. Also, I forgot to put the meanings of the names for the last few chapters, so here they are.**

**Ci-Ke: Assassin**

**Ren-Zhe: Ninja**

**Xu-Qiu: Harsh**

**Xue-Kan: Blood Look**

**Cuo-Wei: Misplaced**


End file.
